Best Medicare Advantage Plans in California (2026)

SCAN Health Plan combines low costs with strong member satisfaction in California. Its 35 HMO plans serve 19 counties and have 342,853 enrollees. SCAN holds a 4.0 CMS star rating and a CAHPS member satisfaction score of 89 out of 100.

SCAN's median out-of-pocket maximum is $1,500, well below the California carrier median of $2,899, and 80% of its plans have $0 monthly premiums. Several plans cap annual cost exposure below $500, among the lowest in the state.

Hearing benefits aren't available, and only about half of SCAN plans include dental coverage.

Both of Clever Care Health Plan’s California HMO plans have $0 premiums and include dental, vision and hearing benefits. The carrier serves Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, with a low median out-of-pocket maximum of $1,250.

Clever Care also holds a 4.0 CMS star rating and has an 85 out of 100 CAHPS member experience rating. Out-of-pocket maximums range from $500 to $2,000.

Alignment Health Plan offers some of the lowest out-of-pocket costs among California carriers with a 4.0+ CMS star rating. Its lowest-cost HMO plans have $0 monthly premiums, $0 primary care and specialist copays and maximum annual cost exposure starting at $498. Alignment also scores 88 out of 100 for CAHPS member satisfaction and serves 22 California counties.

Hearing and dental coverage are limited compared to competitors. None of Alignment's 2026 California plans include hearing aid benefits, and most HMO plans don't include supplemental dental coverage, though select plans offer up to $2,000 per year in dental benefits.

Astiva Health keeps costs low across all four of its California HMO Medicare Advantage plans. Each has a $0 monthly premium and $0 copays for primary care, specialist and inpatient hospital visits. All four plans also include dental and vision benefits, while three include hearing coverage.

Availability is limited to six California counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Santa Clara. Astiva has a median out-of-pocket maximum of $2,250 and a 4.0 CMS star rating.

Imperial Health Plan of California serves 50 of the state’s 58 counties, more than any other Medicare Advantage carrier in our analysis. It offers two HMO plans, both with $0 monthly premiums and dental, vision and hearing benefits. Its median out-of-pocket maximum of $1,648 is also well below the California median of $2,899. Quality ratings are less competitive. Imperial has a 3.5 CMS star rating, below the statewide average of 3.71.

Kaiser Permanente California Medicare Advantage plans all carry a 4.5 CMS star rating, among the highest in the state. Costs vary considerably by region. Southern California plans, including its Los Angeles and Orange County HMO, have $0 monthly premiums and out-of-pocket maximums as low as $699. Northern California and Bay Area plans have premiums as high as $96 per month and out-of-pocket maximums above $5,000.

None of Kaiser’s California Medicare Advantage plans include supplemental dental benefits. Kaiser serves multiple regions from San Diego to the Bay Area and scores 89 out of 100 for CAHPS member satisfaction, among the highest in the state.

Blue Shield of California offers some of its lowest-cost Medicare Advantage plans in Los Angeles and Orange counties, where select HMOs have $0 monthly premiums and out-of-pocket maximums as low as $599. 11 of its 14 California plans have $0 premiums, and 13 have $0 primary care copays. Twelve plans carry a 4.0 CMS star rating, while Blue Shield scores an average of 88 out of 100 for CAHPS member satisfaction.

Availability and dental coverage are more limited than some competitors in the state. Blue Shield serves 14 of California’s 58 counties, and none of its plans include supplemental dental benefits. Select plans offer OTC allowances of up to $400 per year.

UnitedHealthcare has broad availability and low premiums across its California Medicare Advantage plans. Three-quarters of its 32 plans have $0 monthly premiums, and the carrier serves 24 counties, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento. Most plans are HMO-POS options, and 97% include vision coverage, but no plans have hearing benefits.

UnitedHealthcare also performs well on quality measures. Its California plans average 4.0 CMS stars, while its average CAHPS member satisfaction score is 88 out of 100.

Aetna Medicare has 32 Medicare Advantage plans in California across 16 counties, with a mix of HMO, HMO-POS and PPO options. Most of its plans have $0 monthly premiums, and the carrier’s median out-of-pocket maximum is $2,000, with limits ranging from $299 to $6,750. All plans include vision and hearing benefits, while 88% include supplemental dental coverage.

Quality varies by plan type. Aetna’s HMO and HMO-POS contracts have 3.0 CMS star ratings and CAHPS member satisfaction scores of 82 to 83 out of 100. Its PPO plans perform better with a 4.5-star CMS rating and a CAHPS score of 89, the highest in the state.